Technical Basis for Proposed Fourth Revision to ASME Code Case N-513

Abstract

Code Case N-513 provides evaluation rules and criteria for temporary acceptance of flaws, including through-wall flaws, in moderate energy piping. The application of the Code Case is restricted to moderate energy, Class 2 and 3 systems, so that safety issues regarding short-term, degraded system operation are minimized. The first version of the Code Case was published in 1997. Since then, there have been three revisions to augment and clarify the evaluation requirements and acceptance criteria of the Code Case that have been published by ASME. The technical bases for the original version of the Code Case and the three revisions have been previously published. There is currently work underway to incorporate additional changes to the Code Case and this paper provides the technical basis for the changes proposed in a fourth revision. These changes include addressing the current condition on the Code Case acceptance by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), clarification of the Code Case applicability limits and expansion of Code Case scope to additional piping components. New flaw evaluation procedures are given for through-wall flaws in elbows, bent pipe, reducers, expanders and branch tees. These procedures evaluate flaws in the piping components as if in straight pipe by adjusting hoop and axial stresses to account for the geometry differences. These changes and their technical bases are described in this paper.